Police: Social media post spoke of false attempted abduction

ST. CLOUD — A social media post made last week spread information about a false attempted abduction, according to a St. Cloud Police press release.

The post was made Friday, according to the police, and described an attempted abduction at Walgreens at 2505 Division St.

According to the press release, the police department was "immediately concerned" about the post because no report had been made to the department.

The criminal investigation unit was assigned to look into the information. Police contacted the author of the original Facebook post and the alleged victim, according to the press release, and discovered the attempted abduction never happened.

Officers also looked at video surveillance from Walgreens and confirmed the person went to Walgreens, but never had any incident or encounter with any other people.

As of Wednesday morning, the police say several organizations and many people are re-posting the Facebook post as fact, falsely spreading "fear, anxiety, and an incredibly dangerous false narrative," according to the press release.

The Times asked police about the Facebook post on Monday but never reported on it.

Social media can be a useful tool for law enforcement, according to the press release, but it can also have "potentially irreversible consequences" when false information is spread.

The police ask the public to verify information from social media posts such as this one with local law enforcement or media outlets.